


The Coffee Break

by Ailelie, Cinaed



Series: Enduring Legends [8]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: F/M, Female Friendship, Gen, No season 4 spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-04
Updated: 2011-12-04
Packaged: 2017-10-26 22:51:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/288758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ailelie/pseuds/Ailelie, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cinaed/pseuds/Cinaed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Gwen and Elle meet up for coffee, conversation, and confessions.</p><p>Gen with mentions of Elle/Gavin.</p><p><em>Sunday, December 4 2011</em></p>
            </blockquote>





	The Coffee Break

_Sunday, December 4 2011_

"Gwen!" Elle rose halfway from her chair, waving one hand over her head. She hit the edge of the table, nearly toppling her coffee cup. "Over here."

Gwen smiled and squeezed her way through the tiny café to the window-side table. It seemed everyone was trying to grab a bit of warmth before heading back out into the wind to continue shopping. Elle met her with a colliding hug that knocked Gwen back a step. "Careful, Elle."

"Sorry," Elle said, pulling back. "I'm in a good mood."

"Oh?" Gwen removed her coat and draped it and her scarf over the back of her chair.

"Our show had an excellent run, _and_ I had a great Thanksgiving." Her grin was infectious.

"I want details," Gwen said. "But after I get my latte."

"Go get caffeinated." Elle waved her toward the counter as she sat back down at the table. "I'll keep saving our seats."

"Back in a moment." Gwen went to the counter and gave her order for a cinnamon latte as she waited for her turn at the register to pay. The guy in front of her had trouble with his card and ended up taking so long, that by the time Gwen reached the other end of the counter, her drink was waiting.

Gwen took in the comforting smell of the coffee with a soft sigh and returned to Elle. "So," Gwen said, as she sat down, "tell me about this wonderful week you've had."

"Well," Elle started, "you saw our first performance. It just got better. The final performance was completely packed. You could hear the audiences laughing all the way from the _dressing rooms_. The sets worked perfectly. And you should have seen Will. This was his first major role and he just _killed_ it. I love performing." Elle's smile was distant, as though she was remembering the stage. Her hair was a mess from the wind outside and her buttons looked to be off by one, but Gwen envied the easy happiness of her smile.

"I know," Gwen said, fondly. "How about Thanksgiving?"

Elle bit her lip as though holding in a secret. "Wonderful," she said. "Gavin came over."

"Really? Had he met your family before, or—"

"First time," Elle confirmed. "Well, nearly so. He'd met my brother before, but this was the first time for my parents and, well, everybody all together. I think Claire has a crush on him."

"How was it?" Gwen sipped her latte.

"He fit right in," Elle said, sounding both gleeful and amazed. "He and Daniel got along well. He helped Claire with her history homework and joined in when we teased Enid about her new boyfriend. I beat him twice at poker after dinner, so he ended up having to help my dad do dishes."

"I bet he enjoyed that."

Elle rested her chin on one hand. "You know, I really think he did. At least, he left the kitchen grinning. I'm so glad I decided to invite him."

Gwen laughed. "I'm glad it worked out well."

"Me too. With luck," Elle said, holding up crossed fingers, "I'll get to meet his family for Christmas. He's very secretive about them for some reason. So, how about you? How was your holiday?"

"It was good," Gwen said, carefully concentrating only on Thursday. "My dad and I made dinner together. We watched the parade, then _Miracle on 34 th Street_, and then the Ravens-49ers game."

"You only watched one of the games?" Elle sounded horrified. "But the match-ups were fantastic this year." She gestured broadly with her hands. Gwen slid her cup out of the way just before she knocked it over. "You should have seen the Dolphins-Cowboys game. When Bailey made that final field goal—" Elle shook her head. "I couldn't believe it. It was amazing. Daniel was _so pissed_ when his team lost."

Gwen shrugged. "I don't really follow football."

"You should though. It's epic. So how was the rest of your weekend?"

"It was okay. I got some shopping done. Dad and I did some housecleaning." Gwen could feel the too-warm attic again and hear the rough voice calling her _Guinevere_.

"Gwen? Gwen!" Elle was waving her hand in front of Gwen's face, trying to get her attention.

"Oh, sorry. Zoned out there for moment. So, has anything else happened recently?" She tried to change the subject.

Elle squinted at her, but thankfully didn't ask any questions. "Yes," she said. "Gavin's boss wants my theater group to do a Christmas show at the shelter."

"And he just now told you this?" Gwen asked, searching her memory for if Elle had mentioned the show before.

"Yep. Apparently a couple weeks is all the time needed to put together something that's quality."

"How horrible!" Gwen said, holding back a laugh. "What are you going to do?"

"Well, we'll do the show, obviously. The others and I talked it over last night. We've decided to do the Carol. Not because any of us particularly want to do the Carol again, but rather because we all at least know it. I've been a Cratchit, Belle, and one of the Ghosts, myself."

"Mmhm." Gwen twisted her ring around her finger. She'd put it on her left hand that morning, not even realizing she was wearing it until a patient had asked her how long she'd been married. She didn't know why she wore it.

"We'll have to practically quadruple-cast everything, especially since we're not sure how many can actually participate yet. We also don't have a script, so we've decided to improvise that a bit. I mean, we all know what the lines are supposed to convey."

"That should be interesting."

Elle rolled her eyes. "It will be an absolute mess, of course, but we're hoping to come out the other side of awful into something brilliant, or, at the very least, tolerable—Gwen, are you sure you're all right? You look like you're zoning out again."

"Sorry. I was distracted."

Elle looked around the crowded cafe. "By?"

"My own thoughts, I'm afraid. I'm just tired," Gwen said. She had grown very tired of the excuse, but she wasn't yet sure how to phrase the truth. I've been having dreams that seem more real than my life, she practiced mentally. I don't think they're just dreams anymore. I think I'm going crazy. She groaned and sipped at her latte.

"Gwen?"

"It's nothing. Tell me more about this performance."

Elle cocked her head at Gwen, then folded her hands on the table and shook her head 'no.' "I have a better idea," she said.

"Oh?"

"We're going to play a game."

Gwen looked around skeptically; she'd been party to Elle's games before. One had required a conversation of questions. Another had involved counting and keeping up a rhythm. The worst had involved singing, a funky chicken, and absurd motions. "Not really the place, Elle."

"You'll like this one," she said, flicking her hand. "Whatever we say next doesn't matter. We can't ask each other questions about it or make a fuss. Agreed?"

"Okay?"

"Good. I'll go first. I know Gavin and I haven't been seeing each other long, but I love him, am in love with him. Completely." She took a drink of her hot chocolate, dripping some onto the table from where the lid met the cup.

"Really? That's wonderful. Have you--"

"A-ah," Elle said, waving one finger. "No questions. Now. Your turn."

Gwen looked down and rolled her cup between her hands. "I dream that I am Queen Guinevere," she said, quietly. Elle leaned in; Gwen noticed her scarf pressing down over the drips of cocoa on the table. "They're too real. I can feel everything that happens in them." Finally she looked up at Elle. "I'm scared," she admitted with a shrug.

Elle's eyes were wide and her lips pressed together so that they barely showed. "Right," she said, leaning back. "See, I told you. A good game."

Gwen smiled weakly. "What should I do? I've been taking sleeping pills, but they've not been helping. I forget little things from before I go to bed-- I had a whole conversation with a close friend of mine and I barely remembered any of it when he called me the next day. The dreams, though, they're always vivid. I can remember everything from them, even when I don't try to."

"Maybe they are real," Elle said.

"They can't be. Guinevere is a myth."

"Or real enough," Elle corrected. "It's like Scrooge's ghosts. I was in one performance in which we did the play as though the ghosts weren't real. Everything was just in Scrooge's head. His latent guilt and regret had finally piled up high enough that he had this incredible, mental experience. It was a very powerful show."

"I don't follow."

"Maybe your brain is making these dreams because it is trying to tell you something. Maybe they seem so real, because they mean something so important."

"But what?"

"I don't know. Write them down. Look for patterns."

"I can try. Now, do you want to tell me more about Gavin?"

Elle grinned. "I love him," she said. "What else do you need to know?"

"I'm very happy for you," Gwen said.

"Me too." Elle took a deep drink from her cup; a dribble of chocolate slid down her chin. She swiped it away with the back of her hand as she put her cup back down on the table. She tapped her phone on the table. "Well," she said, holding it up so Gwen could see the time. "I should probably get going. I've a party to attend tomorrow, and I haven't even bought a present yet. Want to come shopping with me?"

Gwen shook her head. "I'll finish this"—she tapped her lid—"and then head home. Start writing out my dreams."

"Good luck."

"You too." As Gwen watched Elle push uselessly against the exit before finally pulling it open with a sheepish smile, she thought about her own party which she'd be missing the next day. She still needed to wrap Ambrose's present and give it to Adam. Adam could give the present to Ambrose for her. Gwen drank the last of her latte, wishing she could be there to see his face when he opened the gift. He was going to love it.

**Author's Note:**

> This was written by Ailelie, with a quick beta by Cinaed.


End file.
